Tears of Pearls
by Bunny1
Summary: Sequel to "Innocent", and conclusion of my four-part series...


"Tears of Pearls"  
by,  
Bunny  
  
  
Note: This is the sequel to "Innocent", and the conclusion to the series.  
  
  
~And, we stare each-other down like victims in the grind. Probing all the weakness and hurt still left behind. And, we cry, the tears of pearls. We do it. Oh, we do it.~  
  
"Where's Medusa?"Becky asked suddenly, running her hand through her dark hair wearily.  
  
"Why?" Tommy asked cautiously, looking up from the book he was going through.  
  
"I think it's time for a ittle demolition work..." she said with a determined set of her jaw...  
  
"Beck? Wait a minute!" Tommy called, racing up the stairs after her...  
  
Seconds later, Lori let herself into the Lair.   
  
"Hey, Merton..." she said in a soft, apologetic tone. "Everything's gonna be okay; but, you already knew that, didn't you?" she smiled, gently touching his cool cheek...  
  
~Is love really the tragedy, the way you might describe? Or would a thousand lovers still leave you cold inside? Make you cry. These tears of pearls.~  
  
{Merton sat next to his sister on the park-bench, hating to see her in tears.  
  
"Um, I think you owe Mr. Crazy Pants a talk..." he smiled.  
  
"I don't want to talk to Mr. Crazy Pants..." she sniffled.  
  
"Oh, but he wants to talk to you..." Merton grinned, getting up and jumping around in a nutty fashion. "Look at my pants! They're so crazy! B-gok!" he exclaimed in a funny voice.  
  
Becky couldn't help it; she started giggling in spite of herself.  
  
"There's that smile..." he smiled softly, sitting down close to her again.  
  
"Merton... I'm glad you're my big-brother..." she said softly, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Even if you are a freaker." she teased, laying her head on his chest...}  
  
~All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls. Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world.~  
  
Merton woke up in one of the buildings, the Pilgrim girl asleep in his arms. Her bonnett had slipped off in the night, causing her long blonde hair to cascade all around, looking almost like a halo in the glowing light of the early sunrise.  
  
"Mmmm... Wake up, Claire..." he smiled, stretching slightly.  
  
"Morning, Merton..." she smiled, leaning up to kiss him impulsively, causing a deep blush to flood her cheeks. "Oh, I am too bold..." she murmured, trying to jump up, embarassed.  
  
"Shhh... You are *not* to o bold; Claire, please, *be* bold! It's... endearing..." he assured her softly, taking gentle hold of her wrist to stop her.  
  
"Thank you... " she smiled gratefully into his face.  
  
"It's... strange, Claire, but... I'm filled with this awsome sense of euphoria... I can't even describe it..." he breathed, barely masking his excitement.  
  
"I'm happy, too, Merton... happier than I've been in all my born days..." she confided, biting her lower-lip seductively.  
  
Merton smiled at her, reaching out to brush a stray curl behind her ear, and leaving his hand to rest there, cupping her cheek. As she closed her eyes and lay into his palm, he marvelled at how very much she looked like a young Sandra Dee...  
  
"Promise me something, Merton?" she asked suddenly, sitting up, looking at him intently, and taking his hand between both of her own. "When you are found, don't forget me?"  
  
"Never... that's a promise..." he vowed, pulling her into a tight embrace and kissing the top of her head...  
  
~Your kisses are like pearls, so different and so rare. But, anger stole the jewels away, and love has left you bare. Make you cry. These tears of pearls.~  
  
{Tommy sat in the classroom back in 1989, trying to figure out how to tell his former, 7-year-old self not to become a werewolf. Suddenly, Merton's former 7-year-old self popped in beside him, taking him by surprise.  
  
"Hey! Did you say something about a werewolf?" he asked excitedly.  
  
"Heh... aren't you supposed to be out at recess or somethin'?" he asked, pasting a grin on his face.   
  
"No, I don't like playing outside anymore..." he explained, shaking his head for further emphasis. "I'm trying to be all pale and sickly like your friend. He's cool!" he grinned.  
  
"Well, I'll tell him ya think so..." Tommy nodded, a genuine grin on his face.   
  
"Thanks... Well, see ya..." Merton smiled, giving a little wave as he left...  
  
Tommy reached out quickly as he was going and pulled the "kik me" sign off his back, shaking his head at the bad spelling, thoughts starting to form in his brain. "Mert needs me..." he thought with a small grin...}  
  
"Not as much as I need you, buddy..." he thought, blinking back tears at the memory...  
  
~Well, I could be the joker, pour my heart to get you in. Sacrifice my happiness just so I could win. Maybe cry. These tears of pearls.~  
  
Becky and Tommy came back into the Lair to find Lori sitting at Merton's desk.  
  
"Whoa! Been mixin' cement the hard way, Beck?" she quipped, taking in Becky's dust-covered appearance.   
  
Becky merely glared.  
  
"She knows, Lori..." Tommy explained at Lori's questioning gaze.   
  
"Ev-everything?" Lori stammered, dumbfounded.  
  
"*Everything*." Becky concured. "Look, I know it won't bring Merton back, but I had to get *some* retribution for what that b*tch did, right?"   
  
Lori looked back from Tommy to Becky in growing shock. "You mean she..."  
  
Tommy nodded. "Medusa's in that bucket... Too bad it wasn't just that simple to bring Mert back..." he sighed, putting a hand on Merton's shoulder.  
  
"But, Tommy, we *can* bring him back!" Lori exclaimed excitedly.  
  
~All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls. Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world.~  
  
{Tommy sat next to Merton in the hearse, silently seething.   
  
"Is there a particular radio station you'd care to listen to?" Merton tried.  
  
"No." Tommy mumbled tersely.  
  
"How's the temperature?"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Comfy? You can scoot the seat back..."  
  
A beat passed.  
  
"HOW MUCH LONGER YOU GONNA PUT ME THROUGH THIS TORTURE?!" Merton burst out suddenly. "Haven't I suffered enough???"  
  
"It's been six minutes. Now, find Lori..."  
  
"Tommy, we're men of action, we deal in danger..."   
  
Tommy gave him an incredulous sideways glance.  
  
"And, if, God forbid, something should happen to you tonight before I had your forgiveness... Well, that would be an awful burden for me..."  
  
Tommy shook his head.  
  
"Not to mention a terrible loss for your friends and family, et cetera..." he continued. "I know I did a selfish and almost--- and I stress *almost*--- unforgivable thing, but... Your friendship means more to me than anything. Come on! Please, forgive me..."   
  
"There they are!" Tommy exclaimed, ignoring him...  
  
A fight quickly ensued...   
  
Merton looked incrdulously at Tommy who ripped the mirror off his car to use against Medusa.  
  
"Kay... seeing that you just broke a $50 mirror, now seems as good a time as any to forgive me..."  
  
"Merton shut up!" he snapped.  
  
"Um-hmmm."  
  
"Look, I'll forgive you when I'm good and ready; words aren't gonna do you any good right now..."}  
  
Tommy bit his lip guiltily, the unbidden memory flooding his brain all of a sudden. "How could I?" wondered silently...  
  
~We twist and we turn where angels burn. Like fallen soldiers we will learn. That once forgotten, twice removed, love with be the death, the death of you.~  
  
The three of them stared at Merton expectantly after the incantation, distressed that nothing was happening...  
  
"You said this would *work*!" Becky yelled accusingly at Lori.  
  
"I... We followed Merton's instructions to the letter..." she defended, confused.   
  
"Maybe we're too late..." Tommy whispered, swallowing back the hard lump in his throat.  
  
"No! No, we can't..." Becky sobbed, throwing herself on the statue, crying her heart out.  
  
Lori bit her lip and looked away guiltily, tears flooding her own eyes. Tommy wanted to reach out to Becky, to comfort her, but... Suddenly, he shook Lori because the statue was starting to move... Becky looked up suddenly as she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her...  
  
"Shhhh..." Merton soothed.  
  
"Merton!" she exclaimed happily, tossing her arms around his neck, hugging him with all her strength, and kissing him on the cheek excitedly. "Oh, you're all right!" she smiled, her eyes shining with a different sort of tears this time...  
  
"I'm fine, sis, I'm fine..." Merton smiled, still a bit dayzed.   
  
When Becky finally let go, he looked up at Tommy a bit apprehensively. "I..."  
  
But, before he could utter another word, Tommy pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't you *ever* scare me like that again!" he rasped out, ruffling Merton's hair affectionately.  
  
"Welcome back, Mert..." Lori said nervously, giving him a gentle peck on the cheek.  
  
Merton smiled beautifically. "I'm home..." he breathed, awestruck.   
  
"Home." Tommy nodded, putting one arm around him, the other around Becky...   
  
~All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls. Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world...~  
  
  
~*The End*~


End file.
